After looking for some transmitters, I've discovered that there really aren't many options in the 915 MHz band that the CC1101 uses. Luckily, TI makes a similar chip that operates at 2.4 GHz, which has many transmitters available.
Even more luckily, Anaren manufactures a module (A2500R24A) around this chip that takes care of all the high frequency layout. The module also has an integrated antenna, which will save room on my finished design. One final advantage of buying the module over designing around the CC2500 myself is that the module attaches to the PCB with an LGA (Land Grid Array) footprint instead of the CC2500's 20-pin QFN package. Both would be difficult for me to solder, but I have more confidence that I can handle this LGA than the QFN. Oh, and the module only costs about $15 on Mouser.
Anaren A2500R24A Datasheet (PDF)
As far as micro-controllers, I'm looking at the PIC16F family of processors, specifically the PIC16F648A. I've worked with a PIC32 processor before as part of the Piezo Drum Kit project and had a good experience with it, so I'm hoping using its 8-bit cousin will be a good experience, too. I originally looked at the PIC8 family in the interest of saving more space and power, but there just weren't enough I/O pins for my liking.
I'm looking into designing a radio controlled lighter-than-air vehicle, most likely a blimp or some form of candle-powered floating lantern. The first step I've decided to take is to design the R/C receiver that will control the maneuvering propellers. This receiver unit needs to be as light as possible, so I plan on designing a custom PCB that will draw power from a Lithium button cell. The demodulation will be controlled by TI's CC1101 radio transceiver, but I haven't chosen a micro-controller to work with it yet. I'd like this page to be a build journal for the project, and so, in the interest of proper documentation, here's a copy of the CC1101 datasheet:
In addition to choosing a micro-controller, I'll also need a method of transmitting control information to the receiver. I haven't yet decided whether I want to build my own transmitter, possibly with a custom software interface, or if I want to buy a commercial transmitter. The benefit of designing my own along with writing the software is that I could get some experience writing device drivers. The downsides are the cost of manufacturing more hardware and spending the time needed to learn how to write drivers.
At the moment I'm leaning towards just buying a transmitter, since it could be useful for later projects, too. Then again, I probably won't have to choose until a few months down the line - I'm not in any rush to finish the project, and I'll have plenty of work and school stuff to keep me busy, too.